RPG MAKER 95

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I am come from Poland, and my Engrish is very crappy, so I am apologize on this from begin.

I will start this topic, because for several years I am interested in the oldest RM program on the PC and I do my games in it. Over all these years I have discovered many strange and interesting things in this version. I want to write a lot about it here.

First - I know that you think: "You use RM95 because you "can" use pirate version in contrast to newer RM, because this is abandonware". At once I write that I bought all RM version except RMMV (RMACE and RMXP on sream, RMVX on RMweb, RM2k3 on RMweb and oryginall japan box, and RM2k on humble bunde and oryginal japan box), so this is not reason for use by I RM95.

Really I bought a lot of things related with RM95 from Japan. I show foto and short description in spoiler.

This is book which describe RM95 and simple event (but not as accurate as guide book an RM95 instruction). CD contains RM95 trial (this same as above) and sample games (this same as in full RM95 version). ~70 pages in color.

This is ad poster probably from some japan magazine. This is a little smaller than A3 format.

Uff this is all. Maybe, always I can find something else - how this magazine which I discovered 4 months ago.

I want show you RM95 - a few interesting facts, bugs and my discovered things. A lot of you hear about this version (maybe use this many years ago), but I think that not know all about this RM. I alone probably not know all, but I want write about things which probably nobody has previously described.

First, I recommend check this: japan wiki and deutsch makerpendium (you can translate this for english with google - unfortunatelly I don't know good source of information about this RM in english (eng wiki and rmnet have weak descriptions)), if you didn't hear about RM95.

Well, so I start from interesting facts and my discovered things. In deutsch makerpendium are wrote a few disadvantages RM95, but I don't agree with all:

- Nur 4 ChipSets für das gesamte Spiel - Only 4 MCHIPs for game.
This is true, but is way that get more tilesets for our game. This was discover still under time popular don miguel translation version: LINK, but this makes a few problems with save you game and refresh tiles. I a few years ago discover refresh method without fighting, describe this in polish language and public on polish RM scene. I paste here engrish description of this:

This is add-on for tile swapping tutorial by The Brain. With this you will be make teleport to new tiles map without player must fight.
You must lose one enemy and one battle group. I think that first enemy is the easiest.
Edit this enemy - set all to minimalist value and 0 exp, 0 money and 0% for item. Set black 16x16 graphics.
Set this enemy to group - only this, and set black background.
Save project and close RM.
Open in hex editor file "chara.dat" In first line and sixth column is "01", change for "00" and save. Warning: this step will be must make every time if open this enemy setting in RM.
I think that this the best make before release game.

In the end you give in event:
Fade to black
Teleport
Fight with this group
Fade to light

Effect - fight open for ~ 1-2 seconds and close without player action. With this method you can full use of tile swapping.

Another problem is with the game save. When you load game, a tileset is automatically places itself on the map that contains the start of the game. The only exception is that if you load the game during the game, then the tileset is the same as the last displayed map.

Unfortunately, the best way to get rid of this problem is to unsubscribe from the menu and set save points. The event of this save point should look as follows (I use my refresh tile without fighting method):
1 event (save point)
change the switch to ON
call the game save
change the switch to OFF

2 events (refresh tiles after load) - start on autostart, condition - switch is ON.
fight - our special group
change the switch to OFF

There are other methods that would allow us to preserve non-stop records (eg by items), but there is a problem with their operation on larger maps.

- Only 20 background in battle - You can use more background and even have last map instead background. Again google translate my old polish post.

First method - map instead background:
If the background is less than 640x480px then the place where the background will not display the map! If the background palette will be different from the michip palette, the map colors will be distorted, but if the palette is the same it will not change, so we can make special backgrounds (only one pixel background graphics and we have a whole map) for barely unlimited possibilities ( tila change), but the map itself is displayed without events.
WARNING - RM95 editor give a error if you go to monster editor with this method will be use - I prefer while do a game have background 640x480 and resize on the end before release the game.

Second method - more background:
First of all we need a hex editor (no matter what - I usually tested it on a hex editor and a hex editor for notepad ++).
Now set up the numbers, I will describe for setting with 16 columns of numbers (from 0 to f) - I remember that some programs allowed to change the width - I can be wrong.
Addresses - we look at only 1 column (0). The backgrounds are in addresses ending in 00 or 80 - and these will change - that is, as you look at the address and see at the end which of this pair means that here is the saved background number of the fight. Unfortunately, this is the only chance to easily get into this post - I will add that in this step we do not know which group we change background.
To mark the best do it like this:
- we go to the macros
- we choose a specific background - I recommend one to leave for this purpose
- save (we click OK and we have saved)
- we go to the hex editor
- we will (it will take some) this number
-zmieniamy
-Saves

Now how to name files:
As we know, what we have written in hex is saved in hexadecimal. We need to convert it to decimal, and then compulsory to add 1 - and we have the background name that we write as BGxxx.BMP, where xxx we put the calculated number.
The other way is to subtract 1 from the name and convert it to hexadecimal.

Important - do not click on the slider maker to change the background when we have it larger than 20 (decimal system) because we will have to rummage again in XD hexes - and no one wants to because the background turns 20.

The smallest background number is 01 (00), the largest is 256 (ff).

I hope you understand and do it well.

- A few value can set higher value than editor allows - for example you can 255 one items in backpack instead 100 etc. I don't write about this here, but if someone want I can write this in answer or in tutorials for RM95.
- Keine globalen ("Common"-)Events - Lack of commen events.
Last of today my discovered RM95 function - yes I discovered common events in RM95, but this is of course another work than newer RM version. Again google translate...

COMMON EVENTS IN RM95 (no, this is not a joke).
As it turns out there is a simple trick that allows us to use one event file on different maps and several times on one map. The trick is to make a mistake (or hidden option) of the maker, which is the ability to switch between maps when editing an event. As it turns out, the event window does not block access to the map list, so we can switch between them, for example, to make the hero move, etc. So we create an event, populate a command, switch to another map, To switch back, click OK, and surprise, our event has been created on the currently displayed map at the same coordinates. If we were creating a new event, after switching to the map we wanted to have, we would not find it. This discovery led me to think that I had found a faster method to move events from map to map, so I decided to move this event in the same way back. So I put it on the map where I accidentally created, changed the map and clicked OK, good came on the map I wanted. But still it was on this previous map, so I said OK, it's a method for copying events. And if it were not for the case, then it would remain. But using this method as a faster copy of events, I changed one copy of the graphic, to my surprise, the graphics were changed to all "copies", then compared the exact number of the event, turned out to be the same. So it turned out to be the same event to which reference was made on several maps. Of course, this allows us to copy the same event on each map, and if we want to change something, just do it on one map, and the rest will change, that is, we just have a global event.

Then I decided to check if this method works also in value version, and as I expected did not work, but on this occasion I discovered something else. The value events are stored in a file referring to the map, so each map has its own id, as in the next RM. By moving events from this map to the map, they kept their id, and changed the event to that id on the map where we wanted the event to move. So we had the same event in two different places on the map, but what about the fact that in RM95 events only work if we see them on the screen, it gives us the opportunity to make a bigger map, which can still run one and the same event, which we put so to always have one by the player "seen".

Then I found that such functionality would also be useful in ordinary 95, I did not have to find a long way to find it. While copying and pasting the event changes its id, but there is another way to move it around the map. Just mark a part of the map and move where you want, the events will move along with the map. So just take a new map, move to it an interesting event, use the tool to mark a section of the map, move it where we want, and then move it back to our main map. And in this way we can have one and the same event on several maps and several times on each one. And in the event of editing, we open the first one, change what we want and we have it changed throughout the game.

Although the value version does not support the same event on multiple maps, when converting the project itself, it will simply change each copy of our global event to a single one, so there is no reason to worry that we will lose the ability to transfer our game and np. After the limit has been removed, the number of events on the map.

If, for example, you want to break a global event, for example to do something slightly different, because we have the need, then simply cut and paste, then the event will accept other id and will be normal.

To what this method can be useful, in total it simplifies the creation of advanced systems and saves time if we notice some error in the event that we have dozens of times copied.

So far:
1. To deny an event, open it while it is open, change the map, and click OK. We can do it as many times as we want.
2. If you want to change the location of the event, use the selection tool and move the part of the map together with our event. We take the first step. We can also repeat what we want.

This method also allows skip the event limit on the one map - you can more than 500 events in one map.

OK, now I write my thoughts about RM95. I think that for some reason RM95 is unfinished - for example why tilesets is determined fo every maps separately if game use only fixed set without possibility to change - maybe autors want give posibillity change this, but had some problems with this. Or other example - in save file are information about names heros - but in game not change this, why so must save this information - maybe autors planned change name option? And latest reason is battle animation - 42 animation file, only 36 are use in game, 6 never not use (17, 25, 37, 38, 39, 41) - I think this is residue after not implemented option...

RM95 bugs:
- RM95 not correctly work on new Windows - but the worst is in Win 10:

In other Windows you can have problem with bad 8 bit palette, bad menu and text windowskins - but this is to solve in similar way to other old 8 bit (256 color) games. Always you can make virtual machine with windows 98 - this work perfect for example in vmware.

This movie I record on vmware with win98.
- RM95 1.23(xp) - latest normal version of RM95 have bugs with change type in item and magic editor. This is solved in version value 1.31 or hex edit. I have also 1.30 value version so I think this is posibble to repair by compare the code and make this in 1.23...
- RM95 value event error - if you make your game with value version of rpg maker and have a lot of events on one map (~>100) you can lost all events on this map. This bug is strange, for example I save often and copy my event file and always make this same things - and always this bug corrupt my event file in this same moments... I think that this bug is very hard to repair, so version value should use only for compress you game data. Another reason is lack of "common events" in this version.
- bug with verticaly move events without screen - in my opinion main bug for repair. I do movie which show this bug:

I've played a few 95 games and tried to make my own in the engine too. For some reason people have trouble running it on newer systems, though I've never had an issue in that regard.

Personally, I liked the engine a lot. It had in-built mouse support, item editing and personalised intro events as standard, and an easy-to-use mapping window. That said, it also had issues. There were problems with the RTP tilesets (some of them had background colours but didn't work as an upper layer tile, showing that colour beneath) and the controls are pretty pants when playing the games themselves.

But it's a neat little engine and we'll likely run an event for it one of these days. Maybe.

We do accept games made by the engine on the site so if you've any of your games you want to share, use the Submit Game option under Submissions in the black bar at the top of the page and share~

Well, about the bugs in RM95 I don't know what can be done, but this engine certainly has a charm of its own.

It always intrigued me how RM95 was the only rpgmaker with native mouse support. The art used for the characters and scenarios was very distinct from the others. If you asked me, I would say it remains an unique engine to this day even with its own quirks.

From my perspective, I could count on my fingers the amount of games I played in RM95, but all of them were incredible in their own way. Games like Baldy's Big Day, LockeZ's Double Trouble, School of the Dead and others.

So yea, if you are going to use it in your games it will make them very distinguished from the others.
Good luck in making your games, I'm sure people will be amazed by it. :)

author=DarkenI think Kirby Warrior was the first RpgMaker game I ever played at all period. But other than that the only one I've played and really liked is Crestfallen.

Same. I've never used the actual program, however.

This is a very interesting thread. It's nice to know there's still somebody out there using RPG Maker 95. Your collection is really, really cool. I'd like to have a similar collection someday, if possible, for RPG Tsukuru 2000 and 2003 since I've been using them for about half my lifetime.

I enjoy watching clips from RM95 games because it's honestly quite amazing how big of a jump the developers made from 95 to 2000.

I did not answer for a long time, for which I am sorry. I'm a student and I had no time. Screw that.

My friend from IRC discovered that on oryginal japan CD with RPG Maker except RM and "RTP", is 10 CD Audio music. I decided record these and upload to youtube. In background my old unfinished game, called Władca Żywiołów.

I also make a google document with list of all RM95 games. In this time placed circa 40 titled and downloads. I have hope that is all English, French and Polish games, but I can forget something - you write and I add this. Also lack of few downloads, maybe someone have games which I don't have. (Baldy's Big Day I should have in old PC, but I don't know if it works...).

Useful list actually! It might be helpful to list the dates when they were made to get an idea of the timeline. I usually go by date modified last on the .dat files. I'm specifically looking for any RM95 games made as early as 1998 or early 1999.

(I have no idea why I have this saved, idr even playing it. I know way back in the 2k days I lost a lot of random files that corrupted a lot of RM projets I had on my computer back then because of windows shit and big hard drives so maybe that was the only game that wasn't destroyed?)

I cut my teeth on RM95+.
Really love how simple and accessible it is. If any newcomer wants to dig around in the RM hobby, I would always recommend finding a copy of 95(+). It's a good base-level showcase on how to make an RPG. Then the later versions are great too, but much more complex. It could probably be pretty overwhelming. 95 has the opposite problem. It's underwhelming, in a good way.

Also, my favourite thing about it is the party system! When you add a member to your party, they follow you around like a snake. No extra coding necessary.

In last time I managed to repair bad MENU windows while game (especially in item and magic menu). I made new font (based on MS Sans Serif) which look good.
Old version:

New version:

Font: https://app.box.com/s/t99pyfa1pc8ebnf49rwgaymvz6xxg1ywFont is adapted to polish games, with polish especially letters in Windows-1250 standard. This should work also with English games. This is still only test, so maybe I change something yet.
That you want use this font, you must paste this to Windows\Fonts and edit your game.exe file in hex-editor - find "82 6C 82 72 20 82 6F 83 53 83 56 83 62 83 4E" and replace to "54 45 53 54 52 4D 39 35 00 00 00 00 00 00 00" (TESTRM95 and rest null).
If you have a suggestion - please write.

New info to last my post. CD Audio music is only included on RM95CD - only in normal version, Trials and value version don't have this.

And on the end I remind bug with verticaly move events without screen. Maybe somebody know somebody who can repair this - If will managed to repair this and do better translation (we have new fonts with variable width, so we can for example "LK" (Luck, but only two letters place in game.exe) change to "Luck" - using the empty chars in fonts etc.). So if repair yet this bug - we have a complete 100% work (at least in 9x windows) RM95 game.exe version. And maybe some days appear any win9x emulator and RM95 will work good in this - dreams...
Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjSH5Dl_7KULink: https://app.box.com/s/bhtc2yjhykb6qwk9impb5tdm9a7ezacfIf you have any question or something - please write. I have a lot of game.exe version, so I can give if you need these.